Dying Yucca Plant? Check These 3 Important Factors As Potential Causes
Elizabeth is a Permaculture Garden Designer, Sustainability Consultant and Professional Writer, working as an advocate for positive change. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews with an MA in English and Philosophy and obtained a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Association.
Reviewed By COLIN SKELLY
Colin is a Horticulturist and Horticultural Consultant with experience in a range of practical and managerial roles across heritage, commercial and public horticulture. He holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture award and has a particular interest in horticultural ecology and naturalistic planting for habitat and climate resilience.
IN THIS GUIDE
Yuccas are generally relatively easy to care for, but, as with most other plants, things can sometimes go wrong.
If your yucca plant is not thriving and seems to be dying, it can be disappointing, however, you should not give up on your plant right away.
If you act quickly, there could still be time to turn things around and save your plant.
If a yucca seems to be dying, this is most commonly down to mistakes you have made or problems with the environmental conditions in which the plant is growing.
Reviving a dying yucca plant often involves these three steps:
- Looking at light levels and addressing any problems.
- Tackling overwatering or waterlogging issues.
- Providing sufficient water and humidity where a lack of these is the problem.
Read on to find out about each of these in more detail.
1) Assess The Light Levels
Yucca growing outside prefer a full sun location, but can sometimes cope with light shade.
Those grown indoors need as light and bright a position as possible.
Yuccas that do not get enough light can develop weak and spindly growth and leaves may often droop and, if the problem persists, will die and drop off.
Moving your plant to a lighter and brighter location will often be sufficient to allow it to recover.
“The trick with indoor Yuccas is to find a bright spot but one that doesn’t get baked in a south-facing window,” says Horticultural Consultant Colin Skelly.
“An east or west-facing window is usually a good option. A bathroom or kitchen can be a good option if your Yucca is suffering from brown leaf tips due to low humidity.”
2) Check That The Soil Is Not Waterlogged
One of the most common problems when growing yuccas are wilting, yellowing and root rotting, often caused by overwatering or poor drainage.
Waterlogged soil is one of the biggest issues for these succulent plants.
Make sure you only water your yucca plant when the top couple of centimetres of the growing medium is dry in summer, and water even more sparingly in the winter months.
If overwatering is the problem, hold off watering for a while and the plant may recover.
If drainage is the issue, check carefully to make sure drainage holes are not blocked.
Make sure that you are not growing your yucca in too large a container and also that it is not in need of repotting.
If the soil is waterlogged, remove the plant from its pot, check for root rot and cut off any affected areas.
Repot your Yucca in a new peat-free, loam-based growing medium, making sure that you add grit for drainage.
If the problem is not too advanced, your plant may well recover.
3) Inspect Water & Humidity Levels
Another water-related issue might be that you have simply not watered your yucca enough.
Though these succulents need good drainage, they do also need some water and should not be allowed to dry out entirely.
Make sure you are watering when the top couple of centimetres of the growing medium is dry in summer, and when the top 5cm or so of the growing medium is dry in winter.
Giving your yucca a good drink (but making sure excess water can drain away freely) will often allow the plant to recover.
Misting in dry indoors conditions can help make sure you don’t get brown leaf tips as a result of low humidity.